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The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Ideal 1 Mitrata 56 October 1985 Cover Symbol: The symbols on the covers of the issues in this series are from original lino-cuts by Dharmachari Aloka based upon the mudrās of the eight principal Bodhisattvas of Mahayana tradition. This issue features the mudrā of Bodhisattva Manjughosha, the 'Gentle-Voiced', who is the embodiment of Wisdom. His left hand is shown here holding the volume of the Prajñā-pāramitā , the 'Perfection of Wisdom', which he presses to his heart. His right hand wields aloft the flaming Sword of Wisdom which cuts through all delusion. 1 THE BODHISATTVA IDEAL 1. The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Ideal Part 1 Contents Editorial ............................................................................................................................... 3 Lecture ................................................................................................................................. 5 Seminar Extracts ................................................................................................................ 14 1 Hinayana Mahayanists and Mahayana Hinayanists ................................................... 14 2 Two Versions, One Path.............................................................................................. 16 3 He Put it on His Head and Ran! .................................................................................. 23 4 Pleasure all the Way ................................................................................................... 25 Glossary ............................................................................................................................. 30 Notes ................................................................................................................................. 33 * Indicates refer to Glossary 2 Editorial The 'Eightfold Path', on which we have just completed a series ( Mitrata 40-55), presents a basic and sober view of the spiritual life, with few exuberances or adornments. We now step into a quite different world of much greater spiritual intensity and richness, the world of The Bodhisattva Ideal . Rather than the beautiful but stark mountain peaks amongst which the 'Eightfold Path' led us, we journey now through landscapes filled with fabulous blossoms. and trees made of jewels, lakes of crystal waters on which float enormous lotus blooms, fantastic palaces each of which is an entire cosmos, gigantic stupas made of precious stones and metals soaring high above vast concourses of beings gathered from the furthest ends of the universe, and brilliant, rainbow-hued beams of light which radiate from the hearts of Buddhas without number. Distinct as these worlds might seem to be, they are in fact one and the same world, looked at in different perspectives. The spiritual goal seen from the lofty vantage-point of the Bodhisattva is infinitely more magnificent since the horizon over which it appears is infinitely more distant. Nonetheless, it is the same goal and the same path which leads towards it. It is one of the Venerable Sangharakshita's greatest contributions to Buddhism in the West is that he has given us the key which enables us to view Buddhism as a whole . In this issue in particular he reconciles the varying perspectives of traditional teachings, and in the series as a whole he shows us how to apply the exalted Ideal of the Bodhisattva within our own lives. The modern Buddhist is heir to all the different schools of Buddhism, each with its own perspective on the world of the Dharma, usually developed in isolation from other perspectives and without the methods of literary and historical criticism which we have today. We have to make sense of the various attempts by Buddhists in the past to reconcile differing presentations of the Dharma without being deceived by the language in which they are cast. Although we are studying the Bodhisattva Ideal, we see that it is not a separate Ideal from, say, the Arahant Ideal of the so-called Hinayana schools nor from the Ideal of the Siddha of the Vajrayana. The series we are embarking upon is of vital importance because it not only introduces us to the imaginative and inspiring world of the Bodhisattva but shows us how that world is an aspect of the one world of Buddhism. Most importantly of all, it shows us that the Bodhisattva is not some distant figure, the object of admiration but not of emulation, but that he has a direct bearing on our lives — and particularly upon the collective life of the FWBO. With this new series come some changes. Dharmacharis Padmaraja, Devamitra, and Vessantara have resigned as members of the Editorial Board and Dharmacharini Srimala has been appointed in their place. We gratefully acknowledge the work of the former in establishing the 'new style' Mitrata and welcome Srimala who has already been chiefly responsible for research and production for the past two years. The 'Mitrata Production Team' — a group of Dharmacharinis and women Mitras in Norwich who have gathered all the material from which the final selection is made, prepared and typed copy, and overseen production — has been transformed into 'Lion's Roar', an independent Charity, responsible not only for Mitrata but for other Buddhist publications. We have reduced the size of the publication in response to our readers' suggestions, and we have improved the typesetting and layout. This has enabled us to include more seminar material than in previous issues. In addition more extensive notes have been added with suggestions for further reading together with a glossary of key terms which are not otherwise explained in the text. All this necessitates a somewhat enlarged Mitrata and we have been forced to raise the price accordingly — the first increase for more than two years in spite of rising production costs. We hope that you will appreciate these improvements and that they will make Mitrata yet more useful to you in your study and pursuit of the spiritual Path. As usual, we would like to hear from you with your comments or suggestions so that Mitrata can be continually refined. SUBHUTI 3 4 Lecture Tonight it falls to us to consider 'The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Ideal'. But before we go on to that principal topic of the evening, just a few words about the series as a whole. Most of you, I think, will have seen our latest Newsletter. 1 And no doubt you will have noticed the illustration on the cover of that Newsletter. It shows a hand holding just a few leaves. It is evidently the Buddha's hand — there's a robe hanging down. This illustration illustrates the Buddha's parable of the siṁsapā leaves. It is said that the Buddha was wandering, as often was his custom, in the forest — presumably to get away from the heat of the day — with a few of his disciples. The Buddha often taught in a very simple, direct way — not always with long and elaborate discourses. On this occasion, it is said, he just bent down and scooped up a handful of leaves. Then he asked his disciples, "Tell me, what do you think: these leaves which I hold in my hand, as compared with all the leaves of the forest, are they few or are they many?" The disciples of course replied, "Well, in comparison with all the leaves in the forest the few leaves which you hold in your hand are as nothing. They are just a handful." So the Buddha said, "So it is with all the truths which I have realized compared with what I have been able to reveal to you." 2 So this is something upon which we need often to ponder. Even though the scriptures, in which we find the Buddha's teaching, are voluminous they represent just a fraction of the Buddha's infinite knowledge and understanding. So the Dharma, the teaching, Buddhism, is, in any case to begin with, a handful of leaves. But in this series we are offering, as it were, just a few leaves from that handful itself, not even the whole handful. The Bodhisattva Ideal is a very, very vast subject. It is conterminous practically with the whole of Buddhism. One cannot possibly hope to exhaust this subject, even in the course of eight lectures. Therefore the series as a whole is entitled simply 'Aspects' of the Bodhisattva Ideal . Not only will the series present certain selected aspects, but it will not deal with the subject systematically. It will try to deal with it much more directly, in terms of the spiritual life and experience itself, with a minimum of historical and doctrinal detail. So much by way of preface. Now we come to tonight's subject proper, which is, as I've said, 'The Origin and Development of the Bodhisattva Ideal'. When one begins to speak on this subject of the Bodhisattva Ideal, though one might have studied it for many years, though one might have spoken upon it many times, all the same, one hardly knows where to begin. Even in the handful there are so many leaves one hardly knows which one to take up first. But these lectures are meant for beginners as well as for more advanced students, so perhaps it is best this evening to begin right at the beginning, with the word 'bodhisattva' itself. It's a Sanskrit word, and it may well be unfamiliar to at least some of you. The word bodhisattva consists of two parts: bodhi and sattva . Bodhi means 'Knowledge', it means 'Awakening' — not knowledge in the ordinary sense, not awakening in the ordinary sense. It means knowledge in the sense of supreme knowledge; spiritual knowledge; knowledge of Reality. It means awakening in the same sense: awakening to Reality; awakening to the ultimate truth of things; penetrating
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